Continuous printer



July 14, 1931. F H OWENS 1,814,525

CONTINUOUS PRINTER Filed July 18, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P067 77 V E I N V EN TOR. Fifi/VAN l2. OlVf/VS BY a A TTO EY att 1 WT? w w t r F has e ll lets A plieation filed 3111;; i8,

My invention relates to printing machines particularly for the printing athigh speed of positives from a negative motion picture film, and including guiding and -LVlDg means, whereby the printing operation may take place during the con innous-and form nroveme; oi the positive negaei ve film strips.

Another object oi my invention is to prolo vide a single driving sprocket for the ewe films, the tilms being supported in operative relation thereto by curved guides gates, through which the exposures may be made;

Still another object is to support the film strips in relation to the feed member or driving sprocket independently of such member, whereby said films may be driven from one side of the iilni only.

Other objects and advantages in details of construction and operation will be as the description proceeds, reference now being had to the figures of the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts,

lnthe drawings Figure l is a diagrammatic sideview, partly in section illustrating the assembly of my improved printing aparatus.

Figure 2 is a detail cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure Figure 3 is a detail view of one of gates. I

There is provided a base member 1 su porting an upstanding frame member 2 and a motor or other source of power 3. The up standing frame member a is n vided centhe L1 trally with an enlarged boss 4 hollowed out receive a bushing 5 which serves bear- 'ing for the rotatable shalt '5 passing there through and having keyed thereto its outer end in any suitable manner a relatively pulley and a relatively small sprocket 23.

Belt passes over the pulley 7 and around the pulley ll or the motor 3 whereby upon operation of the motor, the shaft 6 will be rotated.-

Extending forwardly of the wall or frame member 2 are' film guides 12 and 13. These film guides 12 and 13 are provided at their @El-UEIQN new .0 r 2" n serial $19., se son sed walls 17 and 18 may be integral with suitably secured tl ereinner end of tie this compartment and carries lee member 19 provided with periphe sprocl-zet teeth 20 for a purpose to he scribed. The film guides12 13 are re cessed vertically as at 21 to permit-the pas sage of the feed -ernber "l9 therethroiigh. These film guides are also provided with lat eral openings 22 and 23 which serve as ex posure openings in a manner to be described.

The plate carries on its inner surface l ns mount 2% projecting inwardly to the sprocket This feed member 19 is nrovided on its out surface with a circii groove 25 adapteo to receive the projection '26 or the inner en the lens mount n lwhereby light loc orovided between "he U L lens mount and toe :eed member, thus preventio the passage of llglit between these two i The 1 s mount 24; is adiustalignment openi and i will foe also noted with i re 1 the mount 2-2 is L rovided op and bottom 1th shoe members 31 engaging with the and bottom members i? and 18 of the compartment, whereby to prevent the passage of light past the lens mount at these points, thus com polling the rays of the light to pass through the bore and lenses 29.

Pivoted to the film guide 12 adjacent 1 vertical slot 21, as at 32, is a film g vided With a vertical groove 3d to teeth of the feed member 19.

Likewise, pivoted to the film gui e 13 as at is a tihn gate 36 also provided vertical groove 37 to receive the teeth 20 or the feed member 19. This film gate 36 earries outwardly projecting casirg 38 having therein a diaphragm member 89 provided With an aperture it). This diaphragm her may he of any desired type but is prei raloly in the form or -an iris diaphragm provided With an operating lever 41 by means of which the aperture may be adjusted as to size,

The casing 38 carries at its oute end a housing 42 Within Which is a lamp i3 connected to any suitable source of current Between the lamp L8 and the diaphragm 39, there is located plate of ground glass or other diffusing screen casing and housing is provided With slot or aperture in alignment mexposure opening 23 in the film guide. it Will he understood, therefore, that light passing from the lamp Will first be dili'used hy the ground glass l i, then pass through the diaphragm 39, thence through the apertures 1-5 and 23 and through the lens 29, and then through the exposure aperture The purpose of this construction is as .oefore stated to prin images from a negative iilin to a positive iilrn. l fith reference new to Figure 1:, it Will he understood how this is accomplished, A source of supply, such as reel d6, is provided for the negative lilrn, supported at the upper end of the frame 1G lgletnbel on an extension l? thereofl and Ironi "which the negative film d8 1S drawn over a guide roller t9 which together with the guide roller serves to hold the negative him 48 into engagement with the teeth on one side of a sprocket 51. This sprocket 51 is rnounted upon shaft- 52 projecting from the frame member 2 and is driven by means of a chain passing overa sprocket on the shaft 52 and engaging the shaft i Q a. n M tile SD). 0021.09 U OLA lit er a or i i once ovet engageinen L and sup one-J.

1' i noted the Zlrn gate 55 and 56 receive and guide the tlve film 48 as it passes over the gui le. In suelposition the perforations 5? along one side of the :dhn are in position to he engaged. by the teeth 20 of the reed. member 19 Wherelay said film strip i c i posure openings 28 and 415 After leaving exposure station the negative n passes downwardly is looped as 2 5, om which it passes into engagement W tl no side of a sprocket 58 the i into ment with saidsproclret Jay means of the guide rollers 59. This sprocket 58 serves as *he talte up the negative n from. F? ne passes to reel 60 I E the frame ension or Which the 3G reel is mounted, ii ilotion talle up reel "30 Say L ted to this a 3 it 63 passing U and around a P a ove a pulley on the she i no sprocltet 58. 1. A recites 58 receive the sham 53 passing .i n i o6 and printed the inages irons. the gative film .18, w is supplied iroin reel 69 ted upon an extension 70 at ti A lower of 'iZllQ LELSUEHG 2, This positive nlni l1 i from the reel 69 in an upward directio sprociret so aroui ide 0 arch. the

positive (l in engagement by means U e guide Liter leav the sprocket 58, nositive l n looped as it; and passes umvard the filzn guide 12 'nent with. Which over a pulley on the shaft 78 and passing over a pulley 81 on the shaft 52.

It will be noted with reference to Figure 1 that the film guides and gatesare curved, whichfacilitates the supporting of the. film strips in position to be engaged and moved by the sprocket 19. It will also be observed that the radius of the film gates and guides is greater thanthe radius of the sprocket. This provides for the enga ement of the teeth of the sprocket with the lm strips only at the points necessary for-imparting movement to such strips.

Many of the details incident to an apparatus of this character have been omittedas they are well known in the art and form no sart of this invention; It will also be unerstood that many changes may be made by way of detail in construction and ar rangement of parts herein shown and descri ed Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention. I do not limit myself therefore, to the exact structure shown and described other than by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A printingapparatus comprising a feed member consisting of a circular rotary disk provided with peripheral teeth acting on a negative film at one side and on a positive film at the other side, curved film guides supporting said films in driving relation to said feed member and independently thereof, the radius of the arc of said film guides being greater than that of said feed member, a lens between said films adjacent said feed member, a light source outside said iiegative film and in alignment with said ens.

2., A printing apparatus comprising a feed member consisting of a circular rotary disk provided with peripheral teeth acting on a negative film at one side and on a positive film at the other side, curved film guides supporting said films in driving relation to said feed member and independently thereof, the radius of the arc of said film guides being greater than that'of said feed member, a lens between said films adjacent said feed member, a light source outside said negative film and in alignment with said lens, and

means for focusing said lens.

FREEMAN H. OW'ENS. 

